Stabilizer for sliding closures



Dec. 11, 1934,

H. B. WUEBLING STABILIZER FOR SLIDING CLOSURES Filed May 26, 1932 .9; %VENTOR Hargy B. Wueblakzzg Patented Dec. 11, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT 1 OFFICE 1,983,959 STABILIZER FOR SLIDING CLOSURES Harry B. Wuebling, Cincinnati, Ohio Application May 26, 1932, Serial No. 613,777

8 Claims. ('01., 16 91) This invention relates to a simple and sturdy means for effecting noiseless guiding of sliding closures suchas any type of elevator doors and the like and has for its object the provision of a substantially noiseless guide shoe.

Another object is to provide a device of this which renders rattle-proof, vibrationless, and substantially frictionless the operation of such sliding closures.

Another object is to provide such a device with a constantly operating yielding transverse pressure 'so that quiet operation of a door or the like is made possible regardless of whether or not the sides of the guide groove for the door are in perfect alignment with the track above.

Another object is to provide a device of this kind with a simple and efiicient means for adjustin'g the resilient pressure of the guide member'.

These and other objects are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which':

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a sliding elevator closure embodying devices of the invention.

, Fig. 2 is an enlarged section. taken on line 2-'2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. '3 is a view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view showing the usual guide "fin onthe bottom of the door cutaway with the device installed in the resulting space. 'Fig. 5 is an enlarged and longitudinal section "of the device as applied 'to a sliding door.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a modified form of the device.

Fig. '7 is a view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. '8 is a View taken on line 8+8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing a modified form of shoe. I

Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view showing anothenfor'm 'of "the "device adapted for use on "a "Vertical guide "fin. I

Fig. '11 is a"view taken on line 11-11'of Fig. 10.

Fig. '12 is a view showing another modification of the devicejwher'ein the iyi'elding contactmemj'b'ers 'b'perate on opposite side'sof a fin instead of on opposite sides of 'a' groove as inthe pre- "ceding paragraphs. 7 I

'The invention herein will be described particularly as'applied to sliding elevator doors for the reason that closuresof this type are subject not onlyto the noise and difficulty in operation because of violent actuation by the operator but also bec'aus'e doors of this type are subject to 'tor shaft by movement of the car.

vibration and rattling and chattering due to the air pressure surges occasioned in the eleva- It is to be understood, however, that any free sliding closure whether it'be guided at the bottom or at the vertical sides, may be rendered substantially frictionless and noiseless by adapting the noiseless guide member construction of the invention thereto in a manner which will be obvious to those skilled in the art in view of the following specification.

The elevator doors 15 areusually of the type supported tractionally' on guides at the top in a manner well known in the art and having the bottom 16 of the door disposed either in a groove 17 or closely adjacent groove such as 18. In the latter case, a guide fin 19 on the bottom of the door rides in the groove for the additional purpose of precluding excessive draft beneath the closure. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the device consists of a mounting base or plate 20 which is secured to the bottom edge of the door substantially centrally thereof. 'One of these devices, as shown in Fig. 2, would be located at 21 adjacent the meeting edges of the doors and at 22 adjacent the remote edges so that the leading and trailing sides of each door are guided by the devices when moved in either direction. The plate 20 has an internal threaded barrel or sleeve 23 projecting into the hollowinterior of a door '15 or into a suitable cavity formed in a solid door. A threaded stud 24 is received in the barrel 23 and has'a portion extending downwardly into the groove 18. The downwardly projecting portion is developed into a bearing stud 25 upon which, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, an elongated bar 26 is mounted. Roller shafts 27 and 28 extend through the bar 26 and through suitable hollowed out portions 29 adjacent each endand serve to carry fiber or other rollers 30. 1

These rollers engage one each on opposite sides 31 of groove 18. The members 27 and 28 project upwardly above the top of the bar 26 and receive a tensioned spring member 32 which passes through a perforation in the stud 24. With the stud 24 fixed against rotation by means of set screw '33, it will be noted that the spring 32 will yieldingly urge the rollers against the sides of the groove and that the door carrying these devices will always be yieldably urged to a centered condition relative to the groove.

In Figs. 2'and 3, the rollers are omitted and a guide member 260 substituted for the bar 26. This member may have longitudinal dove-tailedgrooves filled with relatively hard anti-friction composition to'form a lubricated sliding surface at each side of the pivotal mounting for engagement of the walls of the groove.

By providing an aperture 34 in the face of the door, set screw 33 is made accessible for releasing the'stud for turning in order to effect This adjustment can be made without removing the devices from the doors.

By: pushing or pulling on the spring member 32 close to the stud, this member may be threaded further into the barrel 23, 'after which set screw 33 is tightened and the spring tension is retained to operate on the guide member as indicated.

In Fig. 6 there is shown a section of a modified form of the device in which amounting plate 35 has an upstanding tubular-portion 36 in which a rotating stud 37 is carried. Stud 37 has a head 38 perforated to receive one end of a coil spring 39, which spring encircles the outside of the tubular portion 36.

rotatably mounted adjacent the A sleeve 40 is bottom of tubular portion 36 and is provided with an annular toothed flange 41 engaging with a worm 42 which is journaled near its opposite ends in lugs 43 struck from the body of the plate. screw slot 440 is provided for the reception of a screw driver by means of which the worm may be turned in either direction to transmit rotary movement to sieeve 40 in which the opposite end of spring 39 is anchored. In this way the tension of the'spring 39 operating on stud 37 is readily adjusted. A bar 44 is fixed to the bottom of stud 3'7 and carries either suitable rollers 45 as shown, or any other suitable antifriction guide bearing arrangement, for example, as shown in Fig. 9 wherein are provided blocks 450 which may be hard fiber with or without surface bearing metal or composition such as shown at 261 'in Fig. 2.

Figs. 10 and 11 show an arrangement wherein the device such as in Figs. 2 and 3 is adapted to contact opposite faces of a fixed guide fin 46 in the bottom of a channel 47.

In this embodiment the guide 48 has depending bosses 49 and 50 at opposite ends on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.

The spring 320 in this case may have the downwardly turned lugs 51 engaging the guide tending to turn it upon upper level of groove 47.

'its pivotal mounting. In this embodiment the bottom of the door may be above or below the As an alternative structure for this type of installation, depending bosses 490 and 500 are tapered on the. faces toward the fixed guide fin 46 to such as of 45 degrees and have a suitable angle mounted therecombinations of these various made.

forms may be In operation of any of these devices the door or closure is moved in the usual manner for opening or closing movement and the rollers or sliding shoe members are effectively held with uniform pressure against either the sides of the groove or the faces of a stationary guide fin, and any tendency to transverse shifting or vibration of the door is taken up through the yield- ,ingtresistance of the spring.

If one or b t-h sides of the groove or stationary fin be out of its intended alignment, the pivotally mounted shoe bar will nevertheless accommodate itself to effect a centering of the door] within the groove as it exists at the points of'contact. 5

Thus in the case of a fast moving elevator cab in a closed shaft, the surge of air pressure which usually imparts a thumping movement on closed doors in the shaft will be cushioned and thuseliminate the tendency of vibration in 10 the doors."

The devices of the invention are also adapted with equal efficiency to effect quiet operation and accurrate guiding of curved or arcuate doors about an arcuate guide path.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made within the scope and spirit of the invention.

Whatjis claimed is: i

1. The combination with a sliding door and a 20 suitable mounting therefor including a pair of spaced guide surfaces adjacent at least one edge of said door, of anti-friction guide members on the said edge of the door adjacent opposite sides thereof, said members each .comprising a bar r25 pivotally mounted on the edge of the door, resilient means constantly urging the bar about its pivotal mounting into yielding abutment with both said spaced guide surfaces whereby the edge of the door is automatically and slidably e30 centered relative to the guide surfaces and'is cushioned against movement of its" free edg transversely of its line of movement.

2. In an anti-rattling guide for sliding doors and the like the combination of a guide bar .35 arranged for'pivotal mounting on the edge of such'door adjacent suitable guide surfaces, antifriction bearing members at opposite ends of said bar for engagement with suitable guide surfaces, tension means for yieldably retaining (40 said anti-friction members in abutment with in operative position.

3. In a device of the class described the combination of an internally threaded barrel, a stud threaded therein and extending therefrom, an anti-friction bar pivoted on the extending portion of said stud, spring means connected to said bar and stud and urging relative rotation {.1 of said members'and means to hold the stud against rotation and releasable for turning the stud to regulate the tension of the spring while the bar is held against turning.

4. In a device of the class described the com- 555 bination of a fixed hollow stem, .a stud rotatable therein, an annular toothed sleeve rotatable on the hollow stem, spring tension means connected to the stud and sleeve, a worm engaging the teeth of the sleeve whereby the spring tension may be adjusted, and an anti-friction guide member fixed on the stud and having at opposite sides of opposite ends suitable anti-friction elements for engagement with guide surfaces.

5. In combination an apertured mounting plate, an integral hollow barrel on one side of said plate, a stud rotatable in said barrel and plate and having a head engaging the end of the barrel, an anti-friction guide bar fixed on the stud adjacent the plate, an annular eX- 70 ternally toothed sleeve rotatably carried by the barrel, a coil spring having its opposite ends fixed to the head and said sleeve, and a worm meshing with the gear and providing an irreversible tension means for the coil spring. 75

6. The combination with a suitably supported sliding closure member and spaced guide surfaces for the free sides of said closure member, of a pivoted antifriction guide member carried by said closure member and means yieldably urging said guide member about its pivotal mounting for engaging the opposite ends of the guide member on the spaced guide surfaces and automatically centering the free edge of the closure member relative to the guide surfaces.

7. In combination a sliding closure member, spaced guide surfaces adjacent the free edge thereof, and a bar-like guide member having its opposite ends adapted for anti-friction movement over the spaced. guide surfaces, said barlike member pivoted intermediate its ends and spring urged to rotary movement on its pivot whereby the closure member is automatically centered relative to the guide surfaces.

8. The combination with a sliding closure member and a fixed fin providing spaced guide surfaces, of a guide bar pivoted intermediate its ends on the edge of the closure member, antifriction means at each end. of the bar on one face thereof and respectively having freely sliding abutment with the spaced guide surfaces and spring means urging the bar to rotative movement about its axis whereby the closure is centered and yieldably retained for anti-rattling and anti-frictional guiding on said guide fin.

HARRY B. WUEBLING. 

